


We'll Build a Home Together

by Seaki



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, Protective!Cas, Purgatory, Soul Touching, Starvation, Weak!Dean
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-08
Updated: 2012-06-18
Packaged: 2017-11-07 07:24:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/428425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seaki/pseuds/Seaki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They're stuck in Purgatory, and there's no way out, so they decide to build a home there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'll Build Our Home (with my bare hands)

**Author's Note:**

> My girlfriend requested some Purgatory fic, so enjoy~

Dean was shaking. Everything they had come across couldn't be killed. They didn't bleed, simply oozing before becoming whole again. There was nothing here that could kill the creatures, save chopping its head off and even then they could still grow back together. 

Cas had become hardened again in the time they had been there. His eyes were cold and lifeless, and the be honest Dean was frightened. He was what a Warrior of Heaven could do, and he was ruthless. Dean found himself getting protected more and more in the time they were here, as he weakened and Cas gained strength. 

And the only way he had any strength was, unfortunately, Dean's Soul. 

Being in Purgatory cut Cas from the Host, severing his tie and his ability to heal himself. At night, or what they perceived as 'night,' Cas would cradle Dean to his chest, and tel Dean to bite down on his shoulder as he pushed into his chest to touch his Soul. 

The teeth marks would always disappear and Dean was left sobbing and curled to his chest as the pain became worse every time. Cas would simply apologize, kissing Dean's dirty forehead, and sing to him softly, lulling him to sleep. 

And Dean - he had to admit he was afraid. In their time in purgatory, Dean lost so much weight. He could feel his ribs through his shirt and he was cold all the time. Cas could lift him easily, even without his strength as an angel, at this point. Dean barely allowed him unless he was too tired to move and they were still out in the open. 

And Cas protected them, keeping constant vigil, and killing the monsters as best as he could, by tearing off their heads and burying them under the wet, swamp-like terrain. 

It took them weeks (or what felt like weeks, Dean wasn't sure) to find a suitable cave. Dean helped the best he could to rid the cave of anything that could kill them, but Cas did most of the work. Dean was just too tired, too frail, to fight and he was so tired. 

That night he sobbed as Cas touched his soul, the pain nearly unbearable, and passed out immediately. He woke to a shaking angel holding him close. Cas had pulled off his coat, wrapping his too thin charge in it, and Dean felt swallowed by it. Since when was he too small for Cas's clothing? 

He could see the relief on Cas's face as he woke up and he was tucked under the angel's chin. 

He felt warm for the first time they arrive in this god forsaken pace, and he was grateful. He thanked Cas, for making him warm, but Cas cried. He actually cried. 

And he simply allowed the Angel to hold him close. He was still so tired, and with Cas holding him so close and with them tucked away, he finally felt like he could get some sleep. He buried his face into Cas's chest, drifting off to Cas's voice singing the Hey Jude from memory. 

When he awoke next, he was still tucked in Cas's arms, but he was still tired. He smiled at Cas when he woke up, and the angel pressed a kiss to his forehead in greeting. They didn't speak much. There was no need to - what would they say? There was no way out, as far as they could tell and when they made arrangements at the beginning to let each other know any ideas. 

That was when he'd agreed to the Soul Siphoning. 

But today... Today Dean wanted to talk. "Hey," he murmured, voice scratchy with disuse. It was strange - he hadn't heard it in so long, and he sounded like a different person all together. And he winced at the sound, at the feeling. Cas pressed his forehead to Dean's in response. "You should save your strength," Cas told him, smoothing away Dean's hair that became limp and long in their time together. Dean sighed, sputtering a cough with it, but complied, tucking himself back into Cas's arms. 

Cas didn't touch his Soul that night. Or the next. And Dean felt his strength slowly returning as his Soul began to repair itself. Cas murmured soothingly in his ear those nights, telling Dean to keep faith in him, and how sorry he was for hurting him. 

When Dean was no longer half-asleep, he asked Cas what he had ment.

"I nearly killed you," Cas murmured, pressing a kiss to his forehead in apology. He nuzzled the angel in acceptance. "If you hadn't, we'd be dead anyhow," Dean responded. Cad tucked him into the back of the cave before collecting wood to build. 

"We'll build a barricade," he explained to Dean. "We'll make this ours... Our home," Dean noted softly afterwards, and Cas gave him the saddest smile he'd ever seen. "Yes, we'll build a home here... Until we can find a way out." 

And Cas built, because Dean needed to rest. He built Dean a bed out of soft leaves that he dried out over a fire. Well, bed would be pushing it. He had dug a hole in the ground, a wide circle big enough for the both of them, and covered it with soft leaves and underbrush he found in the forest. 

Dean liked to watch him work, curled in Cas's overcoat and bundled up to keep away the chill. Cas blocked out the opening, building a wall to cover the front of the cave, save for an opening that made up the door. 

He worked diligently, through the nights and days, barely stopping to rest until Dean needed to, because Dean could no longer sleep without his angel wrapped around him. 

On the forth night, Cas looked worn out, his powers low, and Dean had to tell him to take power from his Soul. "I don't want to hurt you, Dean," he murmured, but Dean glared, taking his hand and pressing it to his chest. 

"Please," Dean begged, "You're the only one that can keep us safe. I... I need to help." He explained himself over and over, Cas dragging his hand away and forcing Dean into the bed. Dean cried himself to sleep that night, worried, exhausted, and angry. 

When he woke up, Cas pressed soft kisses to his face and lips, apologizing profusely. He nuzzled into Dean's shoulder, asking forgiveness. "It wasn't my intention to upset you, Dean," he spoke softly, pressing his forehead to his charge's. 

"You could die," he explained again, but Dean was stubborn. "I'm touching your Soul, Dean. Every time I do, it makes your Soul weaker. It could just stop Being, Dean." Dean sighed, brave enough to finally press a kiss to Cas's lips, clinging to the angel and curling up with him. 

"But what if your grace gets too weak and we get attacked, huh?" he asked. "What will we do then? I can't do anything. I'm practically useless, Cas," he countered, and Cas pressed him closer. "I see your point, Dean," Cas sighed, angry with himself for having to steal from Dean's soul. 

Cas shrugged off his suit coat and shirt, gathering Dean to his bare chest. He offered his shoulder, telling Dean to bite down. It was light, barely a brush of his teeth, until Cas pressed his hand into his chest, reaching for his Soul. 

Dean's teeth broke flesh, and he screamed around the bite, but the small touch was enough to replenish his strength. Cas apologized, pressing a kiss to Dean's lips to show how much he hated having to touch his Soul. 

Dean gave a weak smile, body shaking. Cas brushed away the tears as they fell, cradling Dean until he fell asleep, before tucking the human into the bed, his shirt now a pillow and his overcoat a blanket. 

Once they were safe, he would make something better. Perhaps by weaving soft leaves together or making something to spin fabrics from. He watched Dean as he slept for a moment, watching the slightly shaking figure and his weakly pulsating Soul. 

Then he went back to work, digging a trench in front of the cave so any creatures that decided to attack would have to go through that first. It took him hours (or what he thought was hours. It was hard to tell time in Purgatory.) to finish the trench, having to fight off creatures that tried to overtake him or get to Dean. 

He refused to allow them - no one would touch Dean if he could help it, he thought, as he viciously tore off the head of one of the creatures and burying it as deep as he could without wasting too much time. 

He still had to get back to Dean after all. 

Once the trench was dug, he turned back to the cave, pulling himself inside and pressing himself back to Dean's side before Dean awoke. 

He cradled Dean to his side, shaking slightly at the noises beyond his defenses. He could protect Dean, but that was hardly the point. 

The point was - were his defenses enough? Could he protect Dean enough that the human wouldn't have to worry about getting mauled or getting hurt? He pressed his head against Dean's spine. He could feel the vertebrae underneath the clothing, and he took his time to count each one. 

Dean, even on earth, had to eat a lot to keep his weight, his body not storing any of the calories it took in. While in purgatory, he didn't have to eat, his body wasn't used to it and dropped the weight quickly, reflecting the state of his soul. Once his body got used to not eating, he stopped losing weight for a while. 

But then his Soul began deteriorating, taking the state of the body with it. 

The past few days, Cas had been relieved to see the state of Dean's body start returning to what little health he could muster. 

 

And he had destroyed that with a single touch. Dean didn't seem to notice though, or even care, that Cas was the one causing his body and soul to wither, he just pressed closer to Cas as if he were a beacon of hope in this damn place. 

And as far as Dean could tell, Cas was the only reason he even tried. Cas was the only reason for his existence right now, and he'd be damned if a little bit of weight loss was going to deter him from helping Cas keep his strength. 

Even if it made him tired - even if it hurt. 

Because in the long run, Cas would still be alive long after Dean died, and he was just a blip on the radar and he'd be damned if Cas died before he did. Cas was fixed, always there, and if Cas was gone he didn't know how he would even survive. 

And Cas was an ever-present protector now. Cas was his physical contact, his light, his world, and he was so afraid to lose that. He would die before that happened. And Cas simply continued counting all the visible bones that he couldn't see before, feeling so much guilt for causing it. 

Sometime later, Dean woke, turning to face the angel, and he smiled. Cas thought if it was possible, his heart would shatter in his chest at the bright smile, because Dean was still so hopeful and Cas didn't know if he could muster that anymore. 

"Morning," Cas murmured softly, though the sky was still black as night. It never really changed, but he didn't know what else to say in it's place. "Good Morning," Dean answered, pulling himself closer to Cas and pressing a kiss against Cas's jaw, pulling himself closer and letting himself feel safe. 

Cas was there, and he hadn't been last night. It'd been so hard to stay asleep without him there. He could feel it, like he was suddenly missing a limb. 

But Cas was back now, and he didn't have to worry anymore. He nuzzled into Cas's chest, sighing in relief, but Cas continued counting, only stopping when Dean pressed a kiss to his lips to deter him from his task. "Cas," he whined - actually whined - to drag his attention back to the present. 

The kiss only made Cas focus a bit, dragging his hands along Dean's hips and feeling the bones beneath the skin with ease, but Dean pressed on, deepening the kiss. 

It was different from normal. Not the soft, reassuring kisses, but a 'pay attention to me, I crave all of you' press of lips against lips and Dean was practically vibrating with nervousness. Would he be rejected, or worse? Would Cas abandon him here. 

He nearly sobbed when Cas pulled away, his chest already aching with the rejection. 

But Cas hadn't rejected him. He pulled Dean's face to his, searching his eyes for a moment and searching his Soul for answers. After a moment, he seemed satisfied with what he found and pressed forward. 

He nearly covered Dean's body with his own. He was bigger than Dean now, who lost so much weight that he seemed to shrink in size with every pound he lost. He arched up with the acceptance, pressing into Cas. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes in relief, because he had been so afraid. 

Cas pressed a path of kisses from Dean's jaw to his mouth, filling the kiss against Dean mouth with as much passion as he could muster. 

 

Cas pressed a path of kisses from Dean's jaw to his mouth, filling the kiss against Dean mouth with as much passion as he could muster. He worked Dean gently out of his clothing, pressing away the button down and sliding down his trousers until Dean was left in nothing. 

He could see all of the bones he was counting now, protruding gently under stretched skin. He could see Dean's ribs, each countable, and the dip just below them. There was no muscle here anymore, showing a fla belly and protruding hips. 

But Dean smiled, and it was beautiful.

He quirked a small smile for Dean, kissing along his collar and down his ribs. He was careful, afraid he'd break the fragile looking human as he worshiped the body below him. He didn't know how else to worship a human other than this, carefully loving every inch of his body was the only way. 

It would be the only way Dean would understand how much Cas appreciated him. It was the only way Cas would understand that he was loved, and Dean wouldn't let him do this otherwise. 

Dean wasn't desperate for this. His body didn't need it, though he enjoyed the pleasure it brought, and he was so weak he hadn't thought about it. But he wanted, desperately, to show Cas that he could bring his body pleasure, too, and not just Pain. 

He wanted to show Cas he trusted him with all of his body, and all of his Soul. 

Because he did.

Cas placed a gentle kiss just below his navel before bringing himself back up to kiss Dean again. "Are you sure?" he asked, pressing his forehead against Dean's.

Dean gave a nod, rubbing his nose against Cas's in an Eskimo kiss. Cas gave a small laugh, rubbing back gently before pressing an actual kiss to Dean's lips. He trailed back down to Dean's hips, pressing kisses along his thighs, letting himself enjoy the sound of Dean panting and shivering. 

Because this time it wasn't because he was exhausted and cold. 

Dean gave a small shiver when Cas's mouth encased his cock. He gasped at every suckle and lick and he moaned when Cas sucked him into his hilt, gagging slightly. 

He took care of Dean, pulling sharp gasps. Dean didn't know where to put his hands, fingernails scraping against the soft foliage that made up his bedding.

He shook violently when he came, and Cas swallowed him up cleaning him and pressing his fingers into his skin. He pressed away doubt and comforted his body, bringing it back down from the sudden high. He choked a sob, feeling released and replenished and whole again. 

All because of Cas. 

He pulled himself up on wobbly hands, and pressed a kiss to Cas's lips, tasting himself upon them. He licked his way into Cas's mouth, wanting more, and Cas was happy to oblige. The kiss was sloppy, directed mostly by Dean until Cas decided to take over, and he was pressed back into the nest-like bed. 

He arched his back with some of the dancing touches, too suddenly exhausted to do more. And Cas, he understood, simply tracing lazy pictures into his body and chasing away tension in his body. He wished he could do more for the angel, but Cas simply whispered a command to sleep. 

He gave a sigh, leaning up for one last kiss before going back to sleep. 

He would worry about it in the morning.


	2. I'll Shoulder Your Burdens (that's all I can do)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean doesn't want to feel useless, so he does something about it.

Dean felt like he was always in bed these days, but he couldn't find the stength to leave it unless Cas pulled him up to move him to a new location. Even then, Cas did most of the work. 

The two of them had moved deeper into their cave home. Cas made the bed more comforable, hollowing out the ground and weaving out soft mulchy material for the bedding. He always looked anxious to make Dean more comfortable. 

Dean was restless though, he wanted to do something - not make Cas constantly do everything for him. Cas was barely clothed anymore, giving Dean all of it to feel warmer and more comfortable. Dean was sitting up when Cas returned, which was a surprise for both of them. 

Cas held leaves in his arms, which needed to dry out before they were woven into a proper sheet for the bed, and hopefully make a soft enough blanket. But Cas was tired. His battered wings ruffled slightly, drooping low and scraping against the floor as he walked. 

After the weeks in Purgatory, Dean began seeing them. Just a shadow at first. But that's when Dean realized he just wasn't that human anymore. Not as human as he was before at least. He was a soul, a battered one, but one that still shone brightly despite a lot of it's power being siphoned regularly. 

At first he just saw the shadows, a breif flicker of a moving shape against the dim walls where no one was. Then he began to see the outlined shape, a distortion - like looking through a glass of water. Then shen Cas pressed Dean close at Night, protecting him from the chill and keeping him safe, he felt a small brush upon his shoulders where he knew Castiel's hands weren't. 

He woke up when Cas was out, and he stayed in bed, looking up at the dark shadows of the cave and feeling absolutely useless to the angel. 

"Morning," Cas said, looking down at Dean He dropped the supplies near the bed, slipping in next to Dean. His wings furled around Dean, encasing him protectively, and Dean rubbed his face against Castiel's chest. He pulled back, looking up at Cas. 

He looked exhausted, and Dean hoped Sam would find a way to pull them out soon. He didn't know how much of this either of them could handle anymore, and Castiel was doing most of the work. All Dean did was offer up his Soul, and sleep. 

But today he would help, he decided. "Can you teach me how to weave?" Dean asked. If he had a needle and thread, he could sew... but that was mostly wounds and he had never tried any of those crafts. He wished he had. Sam probably knew, because Sam was always prepared for stupid situations like this. 

Well, not being sucked into purgatory, but living in the wild on his own. Sam would probably be able to survive this without clinging to an angel. Cas just smiled though, nuzzling his face against Dean's head. "I will," he responding, but didn't move again for a long moment. 

Dean curled closer to Cas, giving him comfort and trying to will what little engery he had into Castiel's vissage. It didn't work that way, though. Cas had to actively want to pull the energy from his Soul, but Dean rather wishes he could give it freely without making Castiel become so weak that he had to ask. 

It felt like hours before Cas moved, but time was strange in Purgatory. He ruffled his feathers as he rose up, pulling Dean with him. Dean was unsteady, but Cas held onto him until he could walk. The two of them sank to the floor together before the leaves that had been drying slightly in the warm cave. 

Cas hovered over Dean, guiding the too-thin fingers through the motions of weaving the leaves together with long strands. He whispered soft encouragements to the weakened human as he stumbled through the first lines of leaf-cloth. It was a small effort, but it seem to wear on Dean, but that would not deter him. He refused to be outdone by a bunch of leaves 

After a while, Cas left Dean to his work, and the hunter stayed to concentrate on the mat that he would lay upon. He was tired of dry itchy leaves that would press against him while was trying to sleep. He was all bone and nerves and the ground hurt more than he ever thought it could. 

But most of all, he wanted to be useful. 

Cas did so much for him - too much and he hated it. He felt so helpless, like a sack of potatoes that needed looking after. He vowed to himself that he would do better, so that Cas wouldn't have to do so much for him. 

Still, he got exhausted so easily. The simple task of making a mat was surprisingly tiring, and he fell asleep before Cas could return. He had simply curled against the cave wall, dozing with his work still sitting gently in his lap. Cas ended up shaking him awake hours later and pulling him up so he could sleep somewhere more comfortable. 

He gripped Cas close, curling into the less-bony form and tried to claim all the warmth as he fell back into a slumber. 

Cas was there when he woke. 

It took him a few more sessions to finish the mat. He held it up proudly to Cas when the angel returned to the cave on afternoon (or what Dean thought was afternoon, because he'd been up for a while and he wasn't tired yet) and those blue eyes sparkled in fondness. The angel dropped a kiss on his head, and held him close, before helping the human line their bed with the newly made mat. 

Cas promised to return with more materials tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry for my apparent failure at writing Dean. I'm so sorry, I just can't write him without him becoming some sort of evil monster or so hurt that he kinda just cries all the time. I'm working on it! I will be able to write Dean properly by Next Spring, maybe...


End file.
